HOW TO ENCOURAGE BIRDS TO BREED 



Stray cats should be poisoned or shot, and a 

 constant warfare waged on rats, as these canines 

 and rodents play havoc with birds. 



Apart from the economic aspect 

 of the matter, people ought to take 

 the greatest pleasure in preparing 

 and putting up nesting boxes for 

 birds, so that they may be en- 

 couraged to settle down and rear 

 their families in the neighbourhood 

 of homesteads. The presence of 

 birds with their cheery song and 

 happy, bright ways do much to 

 lessen the feeling of solitude and 

 loneliness of dwellers on farms. Any 

 boy or man who is at all handy can 

 easily make nesting boxes with little 

 or no expense. The great essential is 

 to make them after the manner of the 

 actual nest. The outward appearance 

 need not be imitated. For instance, 

 birds which build open saucer-shaped 

 nests will not rear their young in 

 closed nesting boxes with a hole at 

 the side; nor will those species of birds 

 which build domed nests take to open nesting boxes. 



Gourds cut in half, and others left entire with a 

 sufficiently large hole bored in the side, make good 

 nesting boxes. Jam, meat, and fish tins, as well as 

 small boxes, may be utilised. Boxes may be made 

 from odd bits of wood and tree bark. 



V Cat-Proof Nesting 

 Box. The pole is 

 surrounded by a 

 funnel-shaped 

 piece of zinc, in- 

 verted. 



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